Nike Alphafly 4 vs Alphafly 3: what changes and which to buy

Between the Nike Alphafly 4 and the Alphafly 3 there is less distance than the change of number suggests and more than meets the eye. The new one weighs about 10 grams less, debuts ZoomX LT foam, rebuilds the forefoot air pods and costs 279.99 euros. The previous one, launched at 309.99, has dropped in Nike’s store to around 217-224 euros. The choice, then, is no longer purely technical: it is also about how much each improvement is worth to each runner.

The short answer is that the Alphafly 4 is the better shoe, but not by enough to make its predecessor obsolete. Anyone who wants the latest and runs fast will find a real step forward; anyone who prioritises price has in the discounted Alphafly 3 one of the most sensible buys of the moment among marathon super shoes.

Same idea, different execution

Both share the architecture that turned the Alphafly into an icon: plenty of ZoomX foam, a full-length Flyplate carbon plate and two Air Zoom pods under the forefoot, plus a one-piece Atomknit upper. Both keep an 8 mm drop and sit close to the 40 mm stack limit World Athletics allows on the road. On paper, they are siblings.

The Alphafly 3 also has a pedigree that is hard to match: a prototype of it was on Kelvin Kiptum’s feet in Chicago in 2023, when he lowered the marathon world record to 2:00:35, and it reached stores in January 2024 as the lightest and smoothest version of the line up to then. Its big step was a continuous midsole, without the gap under the midfoot of the first two generations, which made the transition much smoother.

The Alphafly 4 starts from that base and refines it in four specific areas, all with an effect that shows more at kilometre 35 than on the first run.

Foam, plate and air pods

The biggest change is the midsole. The new shoe combines classic ZoomX with ZoomX LT, which according to Nike weighs up to 17% less and returns 8% more energy, placed above and below the plate. The brand puts the result at 10% more energy return than the Alphafly 3. It is a lab figure from the brand itself, but it matches the impression of those who have already tried it: slightly livelier and bouncier at race pace.

The fourth generation’s Flyplate has a wider base and a more pronounced rocker. The first aims to give more stability to a very tall shoe, one of the family’s weak points; the second, to roll the foot forward with less work when the legs start to feel heavy. Stack heights are 39 millimetres at the heel and 31 at the forefoot, very similar to the Alphafly 3.

The Air Zoom pods go from glued to heat-welded. The change seems minor, but it solves one of the most repeated complaints about the Alphafly 3, the squeak that appeared in some pairs with use, and makes them lighter and slightly softer underfoot along the way.

Weight, upper and outsole

On the scale, the Alphafly 4 weighs about 208 grams in a men’s EU 44, compared with around 218 for the Alphafly 3. Ten grams per foot do not change a race on their own, but over the more than 30,000 strides of a marathon they add up to some three hundred kilos less to lift, and they show in the overall feeling of lightness.

The Atomknit upper has been revised with open-mesh zones in the toe box for better ventilation and midfoot cables that keep the foot centred over the plate, an improvement also aimed at stability. The new Fast Shot outsole concentrates rubber under the forefoot and in the heel area that wears fastest. Early independent tests do warn of some abrasion on the exposed foam after relatively few kilometres, something time will confirm or not.

Price: where the Alphafly 3 strikes back

Here the comparison turns around. The Alphafly 4 costs 279.99 euros, less than the third generation at launch, and that is already good news in a market that only knew price rises. But the discounted Alphafly 3, listed in Nike’s store at the end of October at between 216.99 and 223.99 euros depending on the version, leaves a gap of about 60 euros between them.

With that figure on the table, the question is what exactly you gain. Ten grams less, a slightly more responsive foam, quieter air pods and a more stable plate. For a runner aiming to break 2:45 in the marathon, each of those details can justify the spend. For someone who runs the distance in 3:45, the Alphafly 3 offers practically the same virtues for quite a bit less money, and the Alphafly 4 is not going to change their race.

Which to choose for your next marathon

Both are racing shoes and share an ideal profile: road marathons and half marathons, fast paces and light to medium-weight runners. Specialist reviews place their best performance below about 4:15 per kilometre; above that, the plate and rocker are used less and other, more stable options may be kinder.

The Alphafly 4 makes more sense for those who run fast, value every gram and want the most polished version of the family, or for those who suffered the squeak or the instability of the third. The Alphafly 3 is the smart option for anyone looking for their first super shoe, running at more relaxed paces or simply preferring to keep those 60 euros for the trip to the race. Anyone who already owns a pair in good condition can stick with them without regret.

Whichever you choose, the golden rule does not change: several runs at goal pace before racing in them, never on race day itself. For more detail on the new release, our article on the Nike Alphafly 4 arriving in Spain covers all its changes, and if the lightest shoe on the market tempts you, the adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3 plays in another league of weight and price.